Weeks after regulatory action forced Nestle to pull out popular snack Maggi, the government today said it has not filed any legal case before National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC) against the Swiss food maker for alleged sale of sub-standard items.
In aftermath of the Maggi row, the Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had said that the government on behalf of consumers would initiate a class action suit before NCDRC against Nestle India.
However in a written reply to Rajya Sabha today, Paswan said, “No case has been filed in the NCDRC against adulteration/sub-standard products of multinational companies (MNCs) such as Maggi and other eatable products, as informed by the NCDRC.”
Asked the number of cases filed in NCDRC against MNCs for selling adulterated and sub-standard products including Maggi, the Minister said, “The government has not filed any case against the accused MNCs so far.”
But food safety regulator FSSAI has directed Nestle India to recall all the nine variants of Maggi noodles and also issued a showcause notice as to why the no objection certificates (NOCs) and product approvals granted in respect of the said products should not be withdrawn, he said.
Further, NOCs of various food products (more particularly the energy drinks) manufactured by different companies including the MNCs have been withdrawn and orders issued for recall of the products, he added.
Last month, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had banned Maggi for being “unsafe and hazardous” for human consumption after it found excessive levels of lead and taste enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Nestle India had to recall Maggi from markets, while some other companies also later withdrew similar products.
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